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Is there a link between Vikileaks and Anonymous attacks?

OTTAWA - A parliamentary committee will invite foreign experts in tracing Internet hackers to find the people behind attempts to blackmail Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, QMI Agency has learned.

The House and procedural affairs committee began hearings Thursday to investigate threatening YouTube videos by a group purporting to be the political hacker group Anonymous.

Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski said the scope of the committee's investigation could broaden if another Commons committee uncovers any links between blasts against Toews from the Twitter account vikileaks and the Anonymous video postings.

"If they find any kind of a link then I think in the committee report they may be able to ask Parliament to consider a point of privilege based on what they uncover in their examination," he said about the ethics committee.

Ethics is investigating Liberal Adam Carroll and his use of an anonymous Twitter account to spread details of Toews' messy 2007 divorce to protest Bill C-30, an Internet crime bill that would give police and government agencies powers to snoop without warrants.

No laws were broken when he used computers at the Liberal research bureau to set up the @vikileaks30 account.

He has since resigned.

Carroll has so far refused to appear because of what his lawyer says are health issues.

The committee Lukiwski sits on is only permitted to investigate the Anonymous threats.

"But if ancillary information comes out, which kind of links it to vikileaks, then yes, I think we've got the ability to expand our examination."

The MP said the committee will ask Canadian and international experts to assist.

"We certainly will and we have the ability to ask them specifics as to how can you trace and how did you find, for example, certain members of the Anonymous organization south of the border," he said about recent arrests.

The Anonymous videos said if Toews did not resign and kill Bill C-30, it would post naughty divorce details and other personal matters - which it did.